{"id":277371,"date":"2025-07-31T15:38:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnexams.com\/blog\/?p=277371"},"modified":"2025-07-31T15:38:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:38:49","slug":"free-response-peppered-moth-story-mr-edleston-was-an-english-naturalist-who-studied-insects-in-the-1800s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/free-response-peppered-moth-story-mr-edleston-was-an-english-naturalist-who-studied-insects-in-the-1800s\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Response Peppered Moth Story Mr Edleston was an English naturalist who studied insects in the 1800’s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course. Based on the provided text and the principles of evolution, here is the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Correct Answer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dark-colored peppered moth became the predominant color through the process of natural selection, which was driven by environmental changes during England’s Industrial Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detailed Explanation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The change in the peppered moth population is a classic example of natural selection in action. This process can be understood by breaking it down into a few key steps that were part of the model of species change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, natural genetic variation<\/strong> existed within the peppered moth population. The vast majority of moths were a light, speckled color, which provided excellent camouflage against the light-colored lichen that covered trees. However, a random genetic mutation resulted in a few moths being born with a dark, or melanic, coloration. Initially, this dark color was a disadvantage, as these moths stood out against the light trees and were easily spotted and eaten by predators like birds. Because of this, the dark form remained very rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the environment changed<\/strong> dramatically. The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century caused factories to release huge amounts of soot into the air. This pollution killed the light-colored lichens on trees and stained the tree bark a dark, sooty color. This fundamentally altered the moths’ habitat and created a new selection pressure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, this environmental shift led to differential survival and reproduction<\/strong>. In the new, darkened environment, the roles were reversed. The dark-colored moths were now perfectly camouflaged against the soot-stained bark. Predators had a difficult time seeing them. Conversely, the light-colored moths stood out starkly against the dark background, making them easy prey. As a result, the dark moths survived longer and were able to reproduce more successfully, passing on their genes for dark coloration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, over many generations, this advantage led to adaptation<\/strong>. The frequency of the gene for dark coloration increased throughout the population in industrial areas. What was once a rare trait became the most common one because it provided a clear survival advantage. By 1895, the dark-colored moth was the predominant form, demonstrating how a species can rapidly change in response to pressures in its environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Correct Answer and Explanation is: Of course. Based on the provided text and the principles of evolution, here is the answer. Correct Answer The dark-colored peppered moth became the predominant color through the process of natural selection, which was driven by environmental changes during England’s Industrial Revolution. Detailed Explanation The change in the peppered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-277371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277371\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}